Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fashion

(February 2013) It seems kind of strange for me to be writing a story about fashion. There was a time when I was a total clothes horse and an extremely fashion conscious woman, but those days are long past. Now that I work from home and live in a place known for casual dress, my outfits usually consist of sneakers, jeans and sweatshirts (when I add my Red Sox cap my husband says I dress like a 12 year old boy!). Comfort over style has become my preference, until it comes to skiing. I’ve always found dressing for the slopes to be a lot of fun.

Really, I just love shopping for ski clothes. So, after receiving an article from the SIA on what’s new for the 2013-14 season, I thought I’d bring you up to date on the latest trends. It seems bursts of color, asymmetrical patterns and diverse textures will be very popular. In contrast, the top hue for next season is ochre, a muted, earthy mustard/yellow color. It pairs well with other tones and yet still makes a statement on its own.

The urban woodsman or duck hunter look appears in outerwear across the industry. Hipster type males seeking the latest athletic influenced styles, have really taken to this look that emphasizes outdoor clothing authenticity. Camo and olive greens will be prevalent.

Another fashion forward feature you’ll be seeing next year involves a ski-to-street look with demure prints on neutral colors with color pops. This look will make women riders and skiers fashion-ready both on and off the mountain. Many popular brands are applying technical specifications, refined style and product fit to the men’s and women’s clothing making you look good and keeping you warm. And when it comes to kids’ outerwear fun, bright colors will be the way to go, like shocking pink for example.
Fashionable and functional, technical and fun will be dominant in next year’s snow sports clothing lines. I can remember standing at the bottom of the men’s downhill at the1980 Olympics in Lake Placid N.Y. with a couple who were so vain they refused to wear long underwear because it made them look fat! I also remember them shivering quite a bit. Thanks goodness with today’s new fabrics we won’t need to make those decisions anymore. We can look great and be protected from the elements. We’ve come a long way baby……… I think it’s time to go shopping!